Who says that healthy salads can't be tasty and satisfying?
Healthy Chicken Avocado Salad
This healthy, delicious chicken and avocado salad is packed with protein, good fat, fiber, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, plant compounds and antioxidants. It's extremely very low in sugar and salt (Less than 1%).
Benefits of the Chicken Avocado Salad
Great tasting
Easy customization according to anyone's taste
Requires very little preparation and clean up
Short preparation time
High in protein
Low in sugar and salt
High in micro nutrients like vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
Lots of fiber to keep you fuller for longer
How to make the chicken and avocado salad
Add a full portion of cooked chicken to diced avocado. Toss in some lettuce, spinach or another leafy green for added nutrition. Spice with garlic, chili, pepper, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and you're ready to go. Every ingredient in this salad is a super food.
How much chicken or avocado do I add to the salad?
This is up to you. You can add as much chicken or avocado as you want. I add extra chicken to my salad when I have been working hard at the gym for the added protein. Make enough of the salad to keep you full. If you don't have enough, you will crave more food afterwards. This could make you eat something that is unhealthy.
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Do I need to add lettuce, spinach, chili powder, black pepper and lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to the salad?
In reality, you don't. All of the extra ingredients, though, have so many health benefits (which I will focus on in a minute). Play around with these ingredients until you find the perfect combination for your own taste buds.
It is better to use these ingredients instead of salad dressings and sauces. Condiments are high in sugar, salt, preservatives, artificial flavors and colors, flavor enhancers and other unhealthy ingredients that are commonly found processed food. Did you know that there is more sugar in ketchup (tomato sauce) than there are actual tomatoes?
Can I use balsamic vinegar or white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar?
You most certainly can. Any vinegar that you prefer will do. I like apple cider vinegar because of its known health benefits (more on that below).
Can I use frozen chicken in my salad or should I cook it fresh every time?
I'm all for convenience. To that end, I cook a week's worth of chicken at a time and freeze it all up. To make a chicken salad I simply defrost a bunch of chicken (depending on how many people I am feeding or how hungry I am) and break it into smaller pieces. You can pull it apart or cut it up with a knife.
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Will eating this chicken and avocado salad help me to lose weight?
This is one of the best meals you can eat to lose weight. It is unprocessed, low in sugar and has no refined carbohydrates. One good meal is not good enough for weight loss. You need to make the rest of your diet just as healthy. Eat healthy at every meal and follow a good weight loss exercise program.
Healthy benefits of the avocado chicken salad
Here are the health benefits of each ingredient. I hope that this inspires you to eat healthier every day.
Health benefits of Avocado
Nutrients in avocado
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Vitamin B-6
Riboflavin
Niacin
Folate
Pantothenic Acid
Magnesium
Potassium
Lutein
Beta-Carotene
Omega 3
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Avocados are good for your heart and blood sugar
The healthy fats in avocados carry the nutrients listed above. They are good for your heart and keep you satiated for long before you need to eat again. These fats help to stabilize blood sugar. Beta-sitosterol, a nutrient also found in avocados, assists in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.
Avocados can improve eyesight
Avocados contain lutein and zeaxanthin. These two antioxidants are essential to eye health. Lutein and zeaxanthin are present in your eyes all of the time and low levels of these nutrients lead to optical degeneration. They prevent oxidation within the eye and protect against ultraviolet damage.
Avocados help to prevent depression
The folate in avocados helps to prevent depression because they regulate homo-cysteine. Homo-cysteine, if left unchecked, can reduce the amount of nutrients that enter into the brain. Too much homo-cysteine decreases pro-brain hormone production.
The hormones that risk being hampered by too much homo-cysteine include dopamine and serotonin. Depression is often caused by a lack of those hormones.
Avocados for strong bones and joints
The Vitamin K in avocados helps with bone formation and bone density because it increases calcium absorption. It also decreases the amount of calcium that is excreted by your urinary track. Saponins, another nutrient found in avocados, may help with osteoporosis in joints.
Vitamin A (alpha carotene, beta carotene, lycopene and retinal)
Vitamin E
Vitamin B
Niacin
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Chicken boosts your immune system
The nutrients found in chicken are extremely beneficial for the immune system. It is thought that the high antioxidant content of chicken soup, for example, explains why so many people feel better when they have a bowl during times of illness. Chicken strengthens the cells of your immune system. The nutrients that benefit the immune system in chicken include protein, iron, magnesium and calcium.
Chicken is good for heart health
Those with a Vitamin B 6 deficiency are at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Increase your intake of this vitamin to drastically improve your heart health. 4 ounces of chicken breast meat gives you 40% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin B 6. Niacin, found in chicken, improves good cholesterol levels. The iron, magnesium and phosphorus in chicken are also important for a healthy heart.
Chicken is good for weight loss
Chicken consists of more than 63% water, more than 28% protein and around 9 grams of fat (and 0% carbohydrates). This food is an absolute staple for people who want to lose weight. Protein can eliminate hunger and boost your metabolism. It costs more energy for your body to break down protein than it does to break down simple or refined carbohydrates.
Chicken may improve eyesight
Eyes need the alpha carotene, beta carotene, retinal and lycopene (which are different forms of Vitamin A) found in chicken to maintain their function. These nutrients protect the surface of your eyes (known as the corneas) and prevent damage that could lead to dry eyes, night blindness, degeneration and cataracts.
Chicken is beneficial to people who have anemia
Iron and Vitamins A, E and K help to prevent anemia. These nutrients do so by protecting red blood cells and assisting with the production of new red blood cells. Nutrient deficiency is often the cause of low red blood cell counts. Chicken is rich in these nutrients (including Vitamin K).
Lettuce is high in fiber. It is made up of over 90% water. This makes it a fantastic food item if you want to fill yourself up without piling on the calories. Even still, lettuce has a large variety of nutrients that your body needs. Here are some of them:
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that supports recovery. It is used to make collagen in the skin and is used in many beauty or skin care complexes for this reason. Bruises that don't heal, for example, can be a tell-tale sign of a Vitamin C deficiency.
Vitamin B 1
Thiamine, or Vitamin B 1, turns nutrients into energy. Every cell in your body needs it to function properly. Low B levels can cause a lack of concentration and constant fatigue.
Vitamin B 2
Riboflavin, or Vitamin B 2, helps the body to grow and develop. Our bodies are always growing new cells to replace old ones. Riboflavin is just as important for adults as it is for children.
Vitamin B 3
Niacin, or Vitamin B 3, controls cholesterol and helps to prevent arthritis in the joints and the bones. Our brains need Niacin for concentration and learning.
Vitamin B 5
Pantothenic acid, or Vitamin B 5, is used to create nutrients. You need it to create fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
Vitamin B 6
Pyridoxine, or Vitamin B 6, forms the neurotransmitter serotonin. B 6 protects the central nervous system from damage.
Vitamin B 9
Folate, or Vitamin B 9, creates red blood cells. It is also needed in the production of DNA.
Choline
It is essential for the production of energy. Choline is also needed for healthy cell walls in every part of your body.
Betaine
Betaine Metabolizes homo-cysteine - which is needed for eye, blood, heart, bone and brain function.
Retinal
Retinal is a form of Vitamin A that has is used for immunity, eye function and healthy growth.
Beta Carotene
This is another form of Vitamin A. It promotes good skin. Beta Carotene is also needed for healthy eyes, immunity, bones and your mucus membranes.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin
These are two powerful antioxidants that are often found together. Lutein and zeaxanthin protect cells from damage. They prevent eye degeneration, for example.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant. It is known for its healing effects on the skin and its ability to cleanse tissues of toxins. It also improves nerve function.
Vitamin K
Your body needs vitamin K to form bones, regulate calcium and clot blood.
Lettuce also contains the following minerals:
Calcium
Iron
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sodium
Zinc
Copper
Manganese
Selenium
If you'd like a brief overview of why your body needs these minerals (or to read more about the benefits of lettuce), see my post dedicated to lettuce here.
Health benefits of the other ingredients
I had to cut the section short because the post was getting too long. Luckily, you can still discover why all of the ingredients in the avocado chicken salad are healthy.
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Spinach
Spinach is my favorite super food in terms of nutrient content. See all of its benefits here.
Garlic
Garlic is fantastic because it makes for a great alternative to salt. Low-sodium food does not have to be bland food, thanks to garlic. Learn more about the healthy power of garlic.
Chili powder (or chili seeds)
Using chili powder (or whole chilies) instead of sodium is another great way to add flavor. I use chili powders to spice up food that I don't particularly enjoy. Chili powder is great for people who want to lose weight or burn fat because it speeds up the metabolism. Read more about the benefits of chili here.
Black pepper
Black pepper's benefits are similar to those of chili powder of hot peppers. You can use one or both of them on your healthy avocado chicken salad. This is why black pepper is so healthy.
Lemon juice
Lemon juice might give you more energy than coffee first thing in the morning. I am not the only person who has felt the energy-boosting effects of lemon water. Lemon juice cleans out the kidneys and the liver so that they can focus on other important functions.
A healthy squeeze of lemon juice is a much healthier option than adding dressings or sauces to your avocado chicken salad. Processed condiments contain too much sugar, artificial ingredients and preservatives. Lemon juice is tasty enough to give your salad a good tang without destroying your health goals in the process. Here are the benefits of lemon juice.
If you can't use fresh lemons, it is okay to use the bottled version instead. Fresh is better, but store-bought lemon juice still carries numerous health benefits.
Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is great for adding flavor and moisture to your healthy avocado chicken salad if you don't want to use lemon juice. Apple cider vinegar used to be all the rage a few years back, just before coconut oil took over the scene.
Did you enjoy this article about a healthy food option? Should I write another article about easy, healthy dishes? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Stay Strong!
Lucky Charms are a favorite breakfast choice for many. Are they good for your heart? Or do they do more damage than what they're worth?
Are Lucky Charms heart healthy?
Lucky Charms aren't as bad as you might think. They contain important vitamins, minerals and fiber. They are high in simple sugars so you'll need to balance this out with the rest of your diet. Lucky Charms are based on whole oats instead of corn. This is healthier for your heart.
Lucky Charms use whole oat flour
Oats are well known for their health benefits. The word 'whole' in whole oats means that the outer layer and the seed (the bran and the germ) of the oat are not removed before being processed into oat flour. This increases its fiber content (which we don't get enough of) and Vitamin B content (which is needed by almost every biological process in the body).
Whole oat flours are less refined and provide greater nutritional value than refined oat flours (which have the bran and the germ removed).
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It is better to have a bowl of Lucky Charms than to eat nothing at all
Chrichmond.org explains that those who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight than those who don't. Children who skip the first meal of the day typically don't make up for the lost nutrients later on in the day. Those who skip a cereal-based breakfast generally have lower calcium, iron and fiber and protein intake in their entire diets. Concentration and performance is also negatively affected when breakfast is skipped, according to Chrichmond.org.
Artificial colors (Blue 1, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Red 40)
Artificial flavors
What does this mean for your heart?
It is better for your heart to eat Lucky Charms in the morning than to nothing at all.
The fiber, iron, calcium, zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, folic acid and Niacin-amide (which improves cholesterol) can benefit heart health - compared to skipping breakfast altogether.
This food does come with unhealthy ingredients like sugar, corn syrup, modified corn starch, tri-sodium phosphate, artificial colors and artificial flavors. The rest of your diet should be healthy enough to balance out these unhealthy ingredients. Too much of any of them can wreak havoc on heart health.
If you eat too much sugar or processed food already, it is better to eat something else for breakfast instead.
Are cereals like Lucky Charms the best option for breakfast?
No. Unprocessed food will always reign supreme over processed food. You can get all of the nutrients that you find in a bowl of Lucky Charms, and more, with a less processed breakfast. Unprocessed meat, eggs, oats, dairy, nuts and fruit are healthier options compared to any kind of processed cereal product.
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What are the best things to eat for breakfast?
Here are some great breakfast options that contain important nutrients. These nutrients are ones that you don't want to miss out on - without the nasty chemicals and sugars found in processed cereals:
Plain yogurt and fruit
Oats and honey
Eggs on toast
Unprocessed muesli and milk
You can have one of the above breakfast ideas - or a combination of them - for a heart-healthy, nutritious breakfast.
The final verdict
Lucky Charms are a processed cereal that contains a lot of sugar and unhealthy, artificial ingredients. They also contain fiber, vitamins and minerals - precious nutrients that you need. It is better to eat Lucky Charms than it is to skip breakfast. There are, however, better options that give you the nutrients that you need without the added unhealthy ingredients.
You should always consult your doctor or medical care provider before making any changes to your diet - especially if you have a heart condition. Stay Strong!
When it comes to our health, we tend to focus on what we eat and what exercises we do. What about the air that we breathe?
Are evaporative coolers healthy?
Evaporative coolers are not bad for you. They use the cooling power of evaporation instead of the chemicals found in normal air-conditioning. Evaporative coolers may increase the humidity of the air. This can help to ease a dry throat or dry eyes in areas with low humidity.
What is the difference between an air cooler and an air conditioner?
Standard or normal air conditioning units use chemicals and gasses to cool the air. That's why the air-con gas in cars needs to be replaced. Evaporative air coolers blow air onto water because it cools down air when it evaporates. That is why our bodies sweat to cool down. Air cons use gas, air coolers use water.
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Is humidity good for you?
Humidity is natural. Humidifiers are often recommended for people who are sick or have a sore throat. A dry throat weakens the airways' (mouth, nasal passages, throat, lungs) defense against germs and other pathogens. Humid air is better than dry air.
What chemicals or gasses are used in normal air conditioners?
HCFC's (or hydro chlorofluorocarbons) are used to cool air. HCFC's are a group of chemicals that contain fluorine, carbon, hydrogen and chlorine. They have replaced CFC's because they are less harmful towards the ozone layer.
The gases in air cons can negatively affect your health.
Are the gasses in air conditioners bad for you?
Yes. A lot of people experience a sore throat when they first start working in an air-conditioned environment. The gases in air conditioners contain chemicals that aren't natural. These gasses (like fluorine and chlorine) can negatively impact your health. Evaporative air coolers are much healthier.
Are evaporative air coolers healthier for the environment?
Yes, they are. Typical air conditioning units use combinations of chemicals like carbon, fluorine, hydrogen and chlorine. These chemicals damage the ozone layer. Evaporative air coolers use water. They also use a fraction of electricity when compared to normal air-conditioning.
Are evaporative coolers green or Eco-friendly?
Evaporative air coolers are more green and Eco-friendly than traditional air-conditioning systems. They use about a quarter of the electricity of a standard air con, size-for-size. The greenest, or most Eco-friendly option, is to avoid using electricity altogether. Evaporative coolers are a step in the right direction.
Evaporative coolers use less energy than normal air conditioning.
Do evaporative air coolers work?
Yes. They are best used in dry heat. Evaporative coolers are not suitable in humid areas (in wet heat) because they rely on evaporation to cool the air. They aren't as fast as normal air cons at cooling air, but they can reduce room temperatures by as much as 50 degrees Fahrenheit (or 10 degrees Celsius).
They don't cool the air as quickly as a normal air conditioner
Not suitable in places with high humidity because they increase humidity
Although not as much as with normal air conditioning, evaporative coolers still use electricity
Increasing humidity in a room by too much can lead to mold growth
Do evaporative coolers cause mold?
Evaporative coolers may cause mold if they increase the humidity of a room by too much, for too long. To prevent this, don't run your air cool throughout the entire day. Switch it off when you aren't using it. Give the room time to dry out and prevent mold from growing.
How do I stop my evaporative air cooler from smelling?
Change the water regularly so that germs and bacteria don't start to grow in your cooler. Wash out the water holders to prevent germs from breeding. Do not run your air cooler all of the time. Give it time to dry out so that mold does not grow.
Clean your air cooling systems regularly.
Can I add a drop of essential oil to my evaporative cooler?
The product warranties will tell you that you should not add anything but plain water. It is okay to add a drop or two of essential oil, but don't overdo it. One or two drops should suffice. If you use more than that, you could clog up the pads that were meant to evaporate water only.
Conclusion
Switching over to an evaporative air cooler instead of normal air conditioning will reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals. The added humidity may even benefit your health. These coolers use less electricity than their traditional counterparts. Make sure that you keep them clean to avoid the spread of germs and bacteria.
Remember to always keep the environment safe if you have children or pets: Water and electricity pose a whole range of risks when they are close together. Stay Strong!
There isn't much that looks as good on a fit body as a big, strong chest. I am excited to help you develop your chest muscles, so let's get straight into the best exercises that you can do for the chest.
Chest exercises
1. Wall push-ups
2. Knee push-ups
3. Standard push-ups
4. Diamond push-ups
5. Wide push-ups
6. Clap push-ups
7. One-handed push-ups
8. Chair dips
9. Chair dips with elevated legs
10. Elevated chair dips with weight
11. Two-bar dips
12. Standard bench press
13. Incline bench press
14. Decline Bench press
15. Wide grip bench press
16. Close grip bench press
17. Reverse grip bench press
18. Dumbbell bench press
19. Dumbbell flyes
20. Upper chest cable crossovers
21. Lower chest cable crossovers
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Exercises for the chest
These chest exercises are split into two sections. The first one hosts the best chest exercises that you can do at home. It is important to keep the chest growing in muscle and strength - even if you don't have time or access to the gym. Keep your chest development on track - whether you get to go to the gym and whether you have equipment or not.
The next section of gym exercises are for regular gym goers who want to know which exercises will have the biggest benefits for the quickest chest development.
Home exercises for the chest (no equipment needed)
Push-ups strengthen chest muscles and give you a well-defined chest. They stimulate the growth of your pectoral (chest muscles), triceps (muscles at the back of the arm) and shoulder muscles.
Push-ups strengthen the core (abs and lower back), leg (calves and quads), feet, neck and back muscles. This exercise is one of the biggest keys to getting that envied V-shape that everybody wants. Another key to getting the V-shape is the pull-up.
If you want a bigger and stronger chest, you need to get comfortable doing push-ups. They are hard at first - but that's what makes them so effective.
Variations of the push up (for the chest)
Push-ups are versatile. This list of variations ranks the easiest to the hardest of push-ups. Start at the beginning if you struggle to do a single push up and work your way up through the list to challenge the chest to greater growth.
Move on to the next exercise when the chest movement becomes too easy. This will make sure that you keep working your chest to get better and better every day.
1) Wall push-up
The wall push-up is the easiest to do. I recommend wall push-ups for people who aren't strong enough to do a knee push-up. As you get stronger in your pecs (the chest muscles), you can progress to the other variations.
How to do a wall push-up
Stand about 1 meter (or 3 feet) away from a wall.
Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder width on the wall. Your hands should land in line with your armpits and be in line with your shoulders when you reach the wall.
Keep your whole body straight, from your knees to your toes. Imagine a straight line that starts at your heels and ends at the top of your head.
Lean forward so that your weight is placed on your arms.
Bend your arms so that your chest comes closer to the wall.
If you keep your body straight, your face will be the first thing to touch the wall.
Push yourself back to standing position by straightening your arms at the elbows.
Point your fingers upwards, and flare them out for added balance.
Keep your elbows tucked in throughout the movement so that they stay in line with your index or middle finger.
You can increase the difficulty of this move by standing further away from the wall. When your chest muscles are strong enough to do more than 20 wall push-ups comfortably, progress to knee push-ups.
2) Knee push-ups
Knee push-ups are one step away from a standard push-up. Apart from your hands, your knees (instead of your toes) are the only parts to touch the ground throughout this chest exercise.
How to do a knee push-up
Your knees should bend at a 90 degree angle to the rest of your body.
Keep your entire body straight - except your knees. Imagine a straight line from your knees to the top of your head. To keep your head straight, look down to the floor in front of you.
Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart in line with your armpits.
Bend your elbows so that your body begins to reach the floor. If your body is straight, all of it should reach the floor at the same time.
Keep your fingers pointing forward and keep your elbows in line with your fingers so that your elbows don't flare out (flared elbows place extra pressure on the shoulders and reduce chest activation).
Start with your arms straightened. When you reach the floor and come back up (by bending and straightening the arms at the elbows) you have done one rep.
When you can do 20 or more knee push-ups in a row, you can advance to the standard push-up.
3) Standard push-up
Most moderately fit people should be comfortable with standard the push up. Follow these tips to make sure that you are doing them right.
How to do a normal push-up
Start with your body completely flat on the floor.
Place your hands next to your armpits.
Flare out your fingers and rotate your hands inwards so that it is easier to keep your elbows tucked in.
Start to straighten your elbows so that your body lifts off the floor.
Keep your whole body straight so that all of it rises at the same time.
Your rep ends when your arms are straight. Avoid locking in your elbows at the top of the movement because that can injure your elbow joints.
Avoid these mistakes when you do push ups
Form is extremely important for all exercises, but even more so for the push up. You want to do them in such a way that they grow chest and arm muscle without hurting your joints. If you do them right, you get a bigger chest. When you do them wrong, your chest won't grow and you will be left with joint or shoulder pain.
Keep your body straight
It can be hard to know whether your body is straight or if you are bending when you can't look in the mirror and if you don't have someone to correct you. The easiest way to make sure that you are doing them right is to try and make your body as long as possible. Try to create as much distance between your feet and your head.
This will straighten out your spine and your whole body. It will feel harder because you have to tighten your abs, lower back and your glutes (bum muscles). Lengthening the body will help you to use all of the muscles properly and train your chest in the right way without hurting your spine.
Keep a straight motion from the floor to the top of your push up
Every part of your body should reach the floor at the same time. When you reach the floor, your whole body should almost make contact with it. If your legs, chest, head or knees reach the floor first, you are bending your body incorrectly.
Look down and keep your head in alignment with the rest of your body
Don't push your head below of your body line so that it reaches the ground first. Looking up towards you will place pressure on you neck as it bends out of alignment with the rest of the body. Imagine a straight line that starts at your heels and ends at the top of your head. Keep your whole body (and head) in this line.
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Point your fingers forward and rotate them out slightly
Place your hands in line with your armpits and a little wider than shoulder width. When you place your hands on the floor, make sure that your fingers are facing forward. Flare out your fingers (make your hands wide) so that you have more balance. Once your hands are in this position, rotate them slightly outwards. This will help you to keep you elbows tucked in.
Tuck in your elbows
Do not flare out your elbows (like a T-shape). Keep your elbows next to your rib cage. You almost want your upper arms to brush against your body as you do the push up. Keeping your fingers forward and slightly rotated outward will help you to do this.
You don't want to flare your elbows because this will take the pressure away from your chest and put them on your shoulders. Your shoulders will get too much pressure and could get injured, when the chest won't get enough stimulation to grow.
When you tuck your elbows in, you will feel your chest and triceps being used more and you will feel less pressure on your shoulders.
Don't round your back
Many people hunch their backs when they do push-ups. This will take the motion away from your chest and place all of the work on your arms. Hunching decreases the muscle-building effects that push-ups have on the chest. You want your chest to do the movement, not the arms.
To avoid rounding your back when doing push-ups; focus on tensing your back so that your shoulder blades are the right distance apart. When you do this, you will notice that your chest moves along with your push up. Focus on getting the chest to move the arms, instead of using the arms to move the body.
Use a full range of motion to complete a full push up
Lots of people use a smaller range of motion so that they can get more push-ups done. Doing so will cheat you out of a bigger chest. You want to work out your entire chest so that every part of the pectoral muscle will grow. The push up starts when your entire body is a few centimeters off the floor. It ends when your arms are fully extended.
When you only do half push-ups, it takes more push-ups to get the same effect of one. It will lead to a weaker chest because you don't train it in the full range of motion.
This is a lot of information to take in, so bookmark this page to recap on your push-up form as you go along. If you focus on one of these tips every time that you do push-ups, you will get it all right with time.
4) Diamond push ups
I like diamond push-ups because they greatly increase the intensity of your at-home chest workout. Your chest will grow whenever you do push-ups, but the chest's growth will start to slow when it isn't challenged anymore.
You can't add more weight as easily as other exercises, but you can increase the intensity by placing your hands closer together.
How to do a diamond push up
Follow all the steps for the standard push up above. The only difference is that you place your hands close together (so that the thumbs and index fingers are touching). Place the hands in line with chest.
To target the upper chest, place your hands higher. If you want to grow the lower part of your chest more, place your hands lower.
5) Wide grip push up
Wide push-ups, or wide-grip push-ups, are fantastic for activating the bulk of your chest. This variation uses less of your shoulders and your triceps. A wider hand placement isolates the chest nicely.
It is important to note that although wide grip push ups do wonders for isolating the chest, they can still take a toll on your shoulders - since it is not possible to tuck your elbows in like with the other push up variations.
If you have been doing the other push up variations for long enough, you would have built up enough strength in your shoulders to do this variation with risking injury. If your shoulders aren't strong enough yet, stick to the previous variations until they are.
How to do a wide push up
You won't be able to tuck your elbows in when you do this variation. It is still important, though, to point your fingers forward and keep your elbows in line with them.
Place your hands much further apart than with normal push ups. The further apart you go, the greater the stress you place on your chest.
For the first few exercises sessions, start with a slightly wider grip. Increase your hand width as you progress.
Bookmark this page to ensure that you're always advancing in your chest workout.
6) Clap push-ups
Clap push-ups are my personal favorite. They combine body weight and strength training with explosive power. Only do clap push ups if you have proper push up form down to a T. It is very easy to lose track of your form during this variation.
You can add clapping to your standard, wide-grip and diamond push-ups.
How to do a clap push-up
Start at the normal starting position - just like with any push up.
Straighten your elbows with enough force to build up momentum so that your body flies into the air.
When you are high enough, take your hands off the floor and clap them together.
Your hands should land in the starting position.
Bend your elbows and return to the starting position
This is one rep.
Important note: DO NOT lock your elbows during this exercise. Doing so will lead to injury in the elbows and the shoulders.
You can progress this movement by doing two claps - and even three - at the height of each push up.
7) One handed push ups
If you have made it all the way to this variation, your chest should be looking pretty good! Take a moment to think about how well you've done.
One handed push ups are the hardest chest-building push up that you can do.
How to do a one-handed push up
Start with legs spread wide apart. This will help you to stay balanced.
Place your hand near the center of your chest - much like where it would be doing a diamond push up.
Rotate the elbow towards your torso as you apply enough pressure to lift your body off of the ground.
Do push-ups consistently to build up your chest muscles. The above variations are the best exercises for your chest if you don't have any equipment. Gym members can benefit from these techniques when they can't get to the gym.
Dips
Dips for chest growth at home
Dips are one of my favorite exercises for the chest. You work your chest (along with other muscles like your triceps and shoulders) in a totally new way when your arms are behind you. Doing so stimulates your chest for even more growth.
Dips are great at strengthening the front parts of the shoulders. The front parts of the shoulders are extremely important to grow your chest because they are involved in almost every chest exercise. Stronger shoulders equal more power to grow your chest muscles.
Dips, like push-ups, can be done anywhere at home without equipment. You just need a surface to support yourself. You can use a table, chair, step, bench, floor or wall.
Adding dips to your routine will help you to build your chest muscles while you are still resting from push ups. This combination will give your chest all of the stimulation that it needs to grow when you don't have access to exercise equipment.
How to do a dip at home
Find a suitable surface like a chair, bench, table or step.
Sit at the edge and place your hands next to your but on the edge of the surface.
Let the fingers bend over the surface for sufficient rip.
Place your feet a little further away from the surface, so that the knees are almost straightened.
Lift your but off the surface so that your body weight is supported by your hands
Push your but away from the surface so that it can drop down without touching it. Your knees should now be at an approximately 90 degree angle.
While supporting your weight with your hands, drop your body weight by bending your arms at the elbows.
Similar to push ups, keep your elbows tucked it. They should stay in line with your upper body instead of flaring out to make a T-shape. Keep your fingers pointing forwards (although they are wrapped around the surface) and try to keep your elbows in line with them.
Go as low as what feels comfortable in your shoulders. Don't go so low that they experience any discomfort, but as far what they will allow you to go.
Lift yourself up again by straightening your arms. You will feel the workload in the back of your upper arms (triceps), front shoulders and your chest.
When you have gone as low as you can and returned back up with straight arms, you have done one rep.
Important notes when doing dips
Make sure that you don't hunch your back forward when you do your dips. This will place extra pressure on the shoulders and limit the amount of activation that your chest muscles get before you tire from your workout.
Keep your spine in a neutral position by looking forward. Don't look down. Looking forward will train your body to stay in the best posture during this exercise.
Dip variations for chest growth
Much like the push up, you can do dips in different ways to increase their intensity. Your chest will grow bigger as you work your way through to the more intense variations.
The first type of dip, listed above, is the primary and easiest variation. This is how you can gradually make it harder to encourage further chest growth.
Dips with elevated legs
Instead of having your feet rest on the ground, place them on a chair or elevated surface in front of you. This will shift more of your weight to your upper body and increase the stimulation that the chest muscles get.
Elevated dips with weight
You can increase the intensity of this workout by adding a weight to your lap. It is amazing how much an extra pound or two of weight can make to this exercise.
Two bar dips
Two-bar dips
The next progression of the dip has your hands holding two separate surfaces. This will increase the amount of stimulation that your chest has to grow. Your hands are placed next to you, along your torso, instead of behind you.
How to do the double bar dip without equipment
It would be great if you have access to a public park with two separate bars. If not, you can place two tables or two chairs alongside each other. While balancing on two chairs straighten your legs and hold them in front of you by engaging your core muscles.
At the height of the movement, your arms should be in alignment with the rest of your torso. Your hands should be firmly planted on (or gripping) the surface below your bum.
Slowly lower yourself by bending your elbows. Make sure that you tuck your elbows backwards. Avoid flaring them out. Doing so will place too much pressure on your elbow joints and your shoulders.
Go as low as what feels comfortable. Your hands should be a few centimeters below your armpits at the lowest part of the movement.
Lift yourself up again by extending your elbows.
Take caution not to tuck your chin in and keep your head in alignment with the rest of your spine.
Progressing the two-bar grip
You can increase the intensity of this exercise by adding weight. Fill large water bottles and tie them together with string or rope. Carry them over your shoulders to increase the weight. Add more weight as needed.
Dips are fantastic exercises for chest muscle development
You might be thinking that dips stimulate triceps growth more than chest muscle growth. This video beautifully explains how the chest muscles are greatly involved in dip exercises:
Gym exercises for the chest
Here is a list of the best chest exercises. They are listed according to how much the exercises stimulate the chest muscle to grow.
1. Bench press
The bench press is one of the most important gym exercises to build muscle - along with squats, dead lifts and pull ups. Bench presses encourage the production of pro-muscle hormones like testosterone and human growth hormone. They stimulate chest (pectoral), triceps and shoulder muscle growth. The bench press is so important that it is included in both of our muscle building programs for beginners.
Watch the video on how to execute the perfect bench press for maximum chest growth.
Variations of the bench press
Apart from the standard bench press, you can do the following variations to target different muscles. Adding variation to your workout routine confuses the muscles and stops muscle from reducing its rate of growth.
Incline bench press
Incline bench presses focus on the upper chest muscles. You can turn an ordinary bench press into an incline bench press by adjusting the bench so that your torso is supported by a 45 degree angle - as opposed to the typically flat position. Adjust the weight accordingly and use the same lifting principles as a typical bench press.
Decline bench press
In contradiction to the incline bench press, the decline bench press stimulates lower pectoral growth. Adjust the bench so that your upper body is lower than your lower body. Some people do decline bench presses by engaging their lower backs and lifting their lower bodies off the bench (like a bridge) while performing the lift. Don't do this unless your form is on point.
Wide grip bench press
Similar to a wide push-up, wide grip bench presses increase the amount of stimulation that you put on your chest by isolating them in the movement. The triceps and the shoulder muscles aren't as engaged during a wide grip bench press and your chest is forced to lift a greater portion of the weight.
Close grip bench press
Close grip bench presses are standard bench presses with the hands placed closer together on the bar. You can also do them with dumbbells by holding them closer together throughout the exercise. Close grip bench presses are great at working the inner pectoral muscles. Those are the chest muscles along the center of your chest.
Reverse grip bench press
A reverse grip bench press stimulates greater chest growth because it taxes the chest at a totally new angle. A typical bench press exercise requires the hands to support the bar from underneath. This is known as an underhand grip. By holding the bar with an overhand grip, you confuse the muscle fibers because they need to lift the weight in a different way. This is great for confusing the chest muscles into further growth when they have grown accustomed to the typical bench press.
Dumbbell bench press
All of the different types of bench presses can be done with dumbbells instead of using the normal bench press bar or barbell. Separate weights force the muscles into greater activation because they have to balance the individual weights in the air. I personally prefer dumbbell bench presses for this exact reason. They are also a neat alternative when the bench press section of your gym is fully occupied.
Including variation into your typical bench press routine is the best way to encourage faster chest growth. This is because the muscles are forced to adapt to a new kind of stimulus. Doing the same exercise in a different way is one of the fastest ways to improve your maximum bench press power.
Dumbbell flyes
The dumbbell fly
The dumbbell fly is harder to do than the bench press. You limit the range of motion in your elbows so that the chest muscles are the ones that expand and contract during the movement. Keep your elbows slightly bent and try not to expand or contract them at all.
Dumbbell flyes are one of the few chest exercises that work with the biceps instead of the triceps as the main supporting muscles.
These exercises can be done on a flat bench for overall chest growth, an incline bench for upper chest growth or a decline bench for lower chest development. Make sure that your palms are facing the same direction throughout the movement.
This is what a dumbbell fly looks like:
Cable crossovers
Cable crossover chest exercise
Cable cross overs are one of my favorite chest exercises of all time. They work the chest in a similar way to the dumbbell fly. Biceps, once again, are the main supporting muscle groups to the pectoral muscles during this movement. Your arms start fully extended before the exercise and the elbows bend slightly as you pull the cables towards each other.
Although there is a small range of motion in your elbows and they bend slightly, focus on moving your chest muscles instead of your arms.
Upper chest cable crossover
Move the cable upwards towards your upper body, as depicted above. This exercise focuses on the upper chest and the front shoulders.
Lower chest cable crossover
The video below shows you how to do a cable crossover with the attachments coming from the top. This exercise focuses more on the lower pectoral muscles.
If you ever wonder whether a chest exercise is working your upper chest or your lower chest, look at the direction that your arms are moving. When they are moving downwards (towards your core), they are stimulating a greater part of your lower chest muscles. If your arms are moving upward (away from, or higher than, the chest), they are activating the upper chest to a greater degree.
Variation is important to maintain chest growth without staggering results. Progression (increasing the weight, difficulty or intensity of an exercise) is just as important. Your chest muscles will grow in response to these exercises. They can only grow so much during a particular exercise over a period of time. Keep changing it up to maintain positive results. Stay Strong!
Eating a large meal might make you want to do as little as possible. If the meal was big enough, you might even want nothing more than to take a good nap. Most people, in fact, experience an afternoon slump soon after their lunch break.
Take a few minutes to do light exercise like walking after your big meal to help you to avoid the lack of energy or fatigue that usually follows indulgence. Doing so will even improve your health in the long run. Here's how:
Should you walk after eating?
Should you walk after eating?
1. A short walk will improve blood flow and increase oxygen levels
Blood flow is important - and circulation is much needed after a large meal
Blood flow is always critically important. It helps to deliver nutrients like oxygen and energy to the rest of the body. Blood flow will clear out toxins that tend to accumulate. Your digestive system requires sufficient blood flow throughout the day.
The digestive tract's need for blood flow, however, increases dramatically when it needs to digest food. Larger meals require more blood flow.
People who suffer from low blood pressure may experience heightened symptoms after eating because more blood is shuttled to the gut to aid digestion. This reduces the amount of oxygen that is circulated throughout the rest of the body.
A short walk will help to improve circulation and increase blood oxygen levels. Depending on your job, you may feel the biggest benefit when it comes to your mental performance. Our brains are surprisingly fickle when it comes to fluctuating oxygen levels. The slightest drop in blood circulation or oxygen uptake can result in reduced cognitive function and mental fatigue.
2. Light movement after eating will help to stabilize blood sugar
Eating spikes blood sugar. Exercise combats high blood sugar.
When food enters into the gut, sugar is absorbed into the blood stream. This is what leads to a spike in blood sugar levels after eating food. Glucose (sugar in the blood) is the primary source of energy for most of your cells. Too much sugar in the blood, though, can have disastrous consequences.
Sugar is gyroscopic. That means that it absorbs water. Blood that is too high in sugar will pull water out of the cells in an effort to dilute it back to normal levels. There are approximately 4 grams of sugar in the 5 liters of blood circulating through your body (or 0.14 ounces for 1.3 gallons of blood).
That's less than a teaspoon of sugar! Blood sugar levels spike when the sugar from food is pulled into the bloodstream. In order to make sure that the increased blood sugar does not have any negative effects on the rest of the body, insulin is released to bring it back down.
Insulin does this very quickly. Because of insulin, blood sugar may drop to lower than what it was before eating. This is how eating food - particularly food that is high in sugar - cause spikes and drops in blood sugar.
A light form of exercise right after eating your meal will help you to use up some of the sugar that is pulled into your blood. This will stabilize blood sugar and decrease the severity of the sugar spike after a large meal.
Since sugar levels don't get too high as a result of the exercise, less insulin is released. You won't experience such a great drop in blood sugar. This will help to mitigate the lack of energy that you feel after eating.
3. Aided digestion
Your stomach is empty most of the time. It has elastic qualities that help it to hold onto food and prepare it or digestion. The stomach's primary role is to mix food with acids and turn it into a pulp-like mixture so that it can be absorbed by the gut.
Your stomach requires movement to turn the food and acid into an even mixture. This is why some people experience a gurgling or roaring sound after eating.
Light movement can help the stomach to mix the food more efficiently and therefore decrease the time and effort that it takes before moving it along to the next phase of digestion. That is why walking after a meal helps with digestion and reduces the work load on your tummy.
Exercise after eating
Walk after eating
Keep after-meal walks light and short
A casual walk for 10-20 minutes is good enough. You don't want to exercise at too great of an intensity because this may divert blood away from the digestive process when it needs it the most.
High intensity exercise can hamper optimal digestion
A light walk increases blood flow and oxygen levels, while heavier exercise will increase the need for blood and oxygen elsewhere. Exercise that strains the body too much, when done on a full stomach, can lead to digestive issues like stomach aches, diarrhea, heart burn and ulcers.
You want your body to focus on digesting the meal as soon as possible so that it can go back to functioning normally. It does this best with light exercise. No exercise at all, or exercise that is too straining, will have the opposite effect.
Remember that your body spends most of its time without food in your belly, so it regards that state as more normal. It costs energy to digest food. The more energy your body has to digest food and return to normal, the better.
You will feel good after the first few minutes
A light walk might be the last thing on your mind after a heavy meal, but you will start to feel the digestion-boosting effects within a few short minutes. Take a walk after eating regularly to help your body to stabilize its blood sugar levels in the long run.
Remember to always consult your medical practitioner before making any significant lifestyle changes. Do you feel better after walking off a large meal? Did you find the information here that you were looking for? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. Stay Strong!
